RPing the stranger

[Robinmagus]

Well, in real life, people don't know your name until you tell them right? So, the same in PS. Well, could I RP, the nameless one? Or at least lie about my name? Like if one were to ask me, "What is your name?" Instead of Ansatsusha/Robin/talamir etc. I'd say...Iggorious. Or would that be limited because not everyone gets the "The green tags don't exist!" bit. 

[zhai]

Ignoring the name tags is part of RP. It is bothersome when some OOC info is used as if acquired IC. Not only through the name or guild tags but also with /tell. For example:

/<name> tells you "I need help, come right now!"

Duh! how would I know this is happening? Not everyone can RP telepathy nor should they. Why not try something a little bit more IC for this kind of message like: [a groffle brings you a note], /me whistles, etc... What you learn OOC or through OOC ways (like tabs, /guild, /tell, [ ] or forum threads) has to find an IC way to reach your character. Otherwise, how could they find out? Most ignore this side of RP and that leads to situations in which the characters can't explain how they got there to begin with. "Funny coincidence we meet here in the middle of nowhere"... this could be avoided with a little [you receive a note: "Meet me <place>. <Name>"].

Ok, maybe it's an honest mistake to come and say "Hi <name>!" to someone we've never met before but if they try to RP that they don't know you and even tell you a false name don't go "But your name is <another name>!". Play along, how could your character know he's not being told the truth? (unless you come up with something IC to explain this knowledge, do keep the RP going).

[Robinmagus]

Yay. Here goes rping the stranger...though I think I let it slip to Einnol a few days ago..../me makes einnol forget.

[neko kyouran]

If you ask my character what his name is, he won't tell you. He's a grump and has a distrust for almost eveyone, especially people he doesn't know.  So he feels he has no reason to tell them his name.

It's quite interresting the reactions I get when after they ask my character for his name, they get a snide remark for an answer, like people just assume everyone goes around being all friendly all the time.

Have fun. 

[ramlambmoo]

Ignoring the name tags is part of RP. It is bothersome when some OOC info is used as if acquired IC. Not only through the name or guild tags but also with /tell. For example:

/<name> tells you "I need help, come right now!"

Duh! how would I know this is happening? Not everyone can RP telepathy nor should they. Why not try something a little bit more IC for this kind of message like: [a groffle brings you a note], /me whistles, etc... What you learn OOC or through OOC ways (like tabs, /guild, /tell, [ ] or forum threads) has to find an IC way to reach your character. Otherwise, how could they find out? Most ignore this side of RP and that leads to situations in which the characters can't explain how they got there to begin with. "Funny coincidence we meet here in the middle of nowhere"... this could be avoided with a little [you receive a note: "Meet me <place>. <Name>"].

Ok, maybe it's an honest mistake to come and say "Hi <name>!" to someone we've never met before but if they try to RP that they don't know you and even tell you a false name don't go "But your name is <another name>!". Play along, how could your character know he's not being told the truth? (unless you come up with something IC to explain this knowledge, do keep the RP going).

Unfortunatly since its so ingrained in the game mechanics at the moment, it seems unlikely to change- there are for example only a few models of each race in game, so without the tags, you would never know if the person you spoke to earlier is the same person.  In real life you would be able to tell the difference because of how they look, but you cant do that in game.  I could walk up to someone and say Im someone else, and how would they know the difference? 
Thus, if the tags aren't ever going to go, its a bit of a strech to expect people to automatically pretend they dont exist except for the purposes of differentiating people.
In conclusion, you can roleplay it, but dont expect a great deal of success.

[zhai]

Yeah, I don't think eliminating the tags is anywhere near a solution but (and this is sooooo not new) learning the difference between OOC info and IC info. What we find out as players isn't necessarily learned by our characters (in fact we should always see it as something our characters won't know until they come in touch with such information through RP channels, not OOC channels like /tell, /guild, etc.). So, as along as we RP considering what our chars really know we should be ok. It's another chance to exercise common sense... well, maybe that's the real problem.

[zanzibar]

I agree, but in other roleplaying games - you don't know everything about the people you're interacting with.  Part of the colour and mystery and fun and puzzle of the game is that you might not have access to such information, at least not at first.

But I've yet to read or hear of a way we can have identities concealed yet still be protected from griefing.

[Ralas]

Lie about your name all you like.  If someone calls you by your character's name and you haven't given it, poke them with an OOC (um, your character doesn't know that...)  It's an honest mistake.  I made it when RP'ing with the alt of a guild member not too long ago...I asked his name and he gave one different from on his label.  Later I refered to him by the label name and he poked me with something like (um, that's not what I told you my name was...)  Anyone not willing to RP that they don't know your name until told through RP channels (to borrow words for Zhai) is probably not worth your time, until they learn better.

[Syilph]

An IC response is always possible when people will call you by your "displayed" name. You can just ignore them, because they are talking to a different person, ask them who [calledname] is, yell at them to stop calling you that because your name is [namehere], etc

[Einnol]

Yay. Here goes rping the stranger...though I think I let it slip to Einnol a few days ago..../me makes einnol forget.

Huh?  Forget what?  Who are you?   

[zanzibar]

I hate giving people OOC reminders.  It's disruptive to my own experienec.

[Narure]

I have enough trouble remembering peoples names in real life and often make the mistake of refering to some during RP by their name hovering above their head ingame when i never asked for the name, purely because i see them everywhere... I always feel like a fool though.

[Ithorius]

Though you have to remember if a person ICly heard someone address you a certian way, then you cant jump out of your skin...

Like i'll hear people addressed by something, and later if I want to page them, I call them by that,a nd they'll totaly flip like "How do you know me?!" Yeah they're trying to stick with rp, but they asume I simpley read their tag... Truth is most of the time in RL if someone you don't know says your name you don't really think much of it... You kinda just reply, unless you've been hidding your real name of course but still.. Don't... how should I say.... "Over kill"


Just my two cents

[eldoth_terevan]

If you play this game for even a couple of months you will end up having talked to so many people that it will become impossible to keep everyone sorted out, re vis a vis whom did you actually meet and whom you did not. I tried to keep notes about this stuff for a while but there are so many characters and alts that it becomes pointless to track it. I am sorry, but this is really stupid (to go off on another player who calls you by your first name when you do not know them). If I am not supposed to know someone's name then I should not see if floating above their heads, period. What is going to happen when there are 500 players on a day? 1000? Guess what? If people can see your name, they will use it.

[Karyuu]

It's not stupid, it can just be difficult. But by the time we have 500 or 1000 players on a day, we'll have a lot more character variety as well. It would be nice if everyone roleplayed not knowing each other's name until introduction, but it would be nice if no one ever spammed or there was no need for GMs too. Deal with it as best as you can, no one is going to put unrealistic expectations on you.